Transfer case blunder!

[nzdncjw]

Hello there, I recently embarked on the journey of converting my vacuum engaging 4wd system on my 1980 FJ40 Cruiser to a manual engaging system - the old system as playing up toooo much! Anyway I successfully did it which was great! quite an easy task in the end....

Anyway, my blunder is this.... the high low shifting shaft that comes out the top of the transfer case (later type transfer case) has slipped into the transfer case when I had the shifting lever off it was fine, it wasn't until I went to refit the new system that I stuffed up and it slipped about 4-6mm below the surface of the transfer case....

Anyway, I tried a few things (I didn't want to pull the box apart just to slide a wee shaft back up!) I tried gluing a wee screw onto the shaft - no go... it was a 'hope' I also tried removing the PTO cover from the other side of the box and you can physically see the shaft sitting there but there is nothing I could use that would push it back as I couldn't get under it and if I did had no leverage to slide it up... things are very slippery in there! I then thought I might be able to take the plate off that the rear drive shaft comes through as the shaft is right there... but no luck... no access! to the shaft.

So I have to concede defeat and look at the option of pulling box apart... From what I can see I should be able to take the rear cover off the transfer case? (I have never pulled a gear box apart before, so some input to confirm my plan would be appreciated.... I am capable.... but not trained! could be a bad thing I reckon!) anyway, can someone tell me if unbolting the whole rear cover off the transfer case and pulling it off to get this shaft back up will the box fall apart and I'll end up with a thousand pieces or will I be lucky and pull the cover off with nothing falling out so I can carefully push this shaft back up and refit the back cover and get on with playing in the mud?

Thanks for any input!

I am at the stage where I probably should take it to a mechanic but funnily enough the transfer case is in neutral so I can't even shift the truck into the garage from our gravel driveway let alonoe drive it into a garage!!! we also live 20-30min out of Invercargill in the middle of no where...

Chris

[wopass]

just another option for you ...

have you tried a magnet ? you can get the small telescopic magnets from repco and they are pretty good. might be worth a shot

[nzdncjw]

yip, tried the magnet... not enough pull on it...

I also tried to take the cover off from infront of the rear drive shaft output but no go as well, I am gonna have to pull it apart.... fun fun...

has anyone pulled a transfer case apart b4? is it easy enough to take the whole rear cover off the back of the transfer case without things turning to custard?

Cheers!

Chris

[pagar]

may sound like a strange question but what kind of magnet did you try, one of those cheepies from super cheap/ repco or a mechaics magnetic picup looks like a pen with a 8mm heavy duty magnet on it. mine will lift about 3 kgs on the magnet. most trade tool suppliers sell good ones. may be worth a couple of phone calls to find a good one first or try yours just lifting something like a torque rench. if it will ony lift a 12mm spanner it wont pull anything out of the box. well that my 2 cents.

[wopass]

may sound like a strange question but what kind of magnet did you try, one of those cheepies from super cheap/ repco or a mechaics magnetic picup looks like a pen with a 8mm heavy duty magnet on it. mine will lift about 3 kgs on the magnet. most trade tool suppliers sell good ones. may be worth a couple of phone calls to find a good one first or try yours just lifting something like a torque rench. if it will ony lift a 12mm spanner it wont pull anything out of the box. well that my 2 cents.

yea mine will lift a 15" crescent off the floor no problems at all so pulling a little shaft out of a hole wopuld be a pita

[MNC]

Hey dude, why not just unbolt the top plate where the shaft sticks through?

[Sadam_Husain]

Hey dude, why not just unbolt the top plate where the shaft sticks through?

That pictures an early transfercase, he's got a later split transfercase like this one

[MNC]

That pictures an early transfercase, he's got a later split transfercase like this one

Bummer. Have heard the later model split cases are stronger though so guess thats good news.

[nzdncjw]

the magnet I used was from my boss, it wouldn't have lifted the kind of weight you guys mentioned... I might pop past my garage this week... cheers for that...

chris